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Indiana is joining 15 other states in a billboard campaign to raise awareness about human trafficking.
About 21 million people worldwide are victims of human trafficking. An estimated 1.5 million of them are in the United States, many of them minors recruited for prostitution.
On Wednesday, state leaders, law enforcement, trafficking support groups and outdoor ad representatives presented a new statewide campaign that features messages about the crime.
Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller says the billboard messages encourage community engagement.
"We won’t be able to make a dent until people acknowledge that the crimes are occuring in front of us," Zoeller said. "We must refuse to tolerate commercial sex, people also need to know how to recognize the victims of human trafficking."
More than 210 cases of human trafficking have been reported in Indiana since 2007. The billboards feature facts and figures about human trafficking, encourage victims to seek help and others to report it.
Thirty-five digital billboards across the state will display the messages for the next month.
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